


Within A Mile Of Home

by sleepismyfriend



Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005), Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-12
Updated: 2010-05-12
Packaged: 2017-10-10 21:43:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/104623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepismyfriend/pseuds/sleepismyfriend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eleven takes Amy to Bannerman Road, only he encounters a few more than he expected once he arrives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Within A Mile Of Home

The engines came to a full stop as Amy entered the reddish lights of the console room, wearing a dark pair of jeans and an even darker jacket with her long red hair down around her shoulders.

"Right then, here we go." The Doctor was wearing his tweed jacket as he headed straight for the door. Amy simply raised an eyebrow at him.

She knew he had set coordinates for Earth, claiming that there was someone that he wanted her to meet. They had only been traveling together for a short time, but from the tone of his request she knew that this was important and didn't argue the matter.

As she exited the TARDIS, she looked around to breath a sigh of relief that the Earth really hadn't changed all that much. Tiny cars, driveways, and immaculately cut lawns surrounded her. She caught up to the Doctor as he stared up at the big brick house.

"Gonna tell me what we're doing here?" Her head leaned over at him.

"Sorry, thought I told you?"

"You said you had someone you wanted me to meet, yes, but that is far from telling me."

The Doctor squinted in the natural sunlight with his hands tucked under his arms much like she had seen him do aboard the Starship UK.

"Sorry," he said next.

"So, you've said." He made up his mind and took a few steps forward when he looked over his shoulder to see her hands on her hips, looking at him with more questions than he really wanted to answer at that precise moment.

He faced her, scratching the back of his head as she waited.

"I've spent most of my life traveling to skies whose horizon far surpasses anything you could possibly imagine." The Doctor surveyed the summer sky above him before looking back down. "But, in the end, this one always calls to me. Don't even know why, really."

Amy looked up, studying the sky for herself.

"Can't say I blame you, really. It certainly has its moments."

The Doctor stared at her.

"There's someone that I want you to meet. She's a friend of mine. Traveled with me for a time. If something ever should happen the TARDIS will automatically bring you here. Sarah won't hesitate to help."

"Are you planning on something bad happening, Doctor?"

The Doctor smiled.

"Not exactly, but that's never saying a lot," he said, turning and walking towards the big brick house. Amy waited a moment before following behind.

He opened the gate, noticing the tiny green car in the drive and giving it a good rap on the top as he moved towards the front door. He straightened his posture before ringing the doorbell. Amy had never seen him look more nervous, especially when a young man answered.

"Can I help you?"

The Doctor smiled, "Lukey-boy, you've gotten tall! Or have I gotten shorter? Anything's possible." He looked past the boy. "Where's your mother? She's expecting me."

He heard the sound of other muted voices in the distance of Sarah's home, and that made him even more curious than before. He had sent word, hadn't he? Or had he messed up? Why hadn't Sarah answered the door?

He was hoping that he had sent his message to the right moment in time or else there was a universal subspace transmission floating in the year 1231, and he was really hoping Sarah wouldn't be cross with him. "At least, I hope she's expecting me. Never mind. It's me, Luke. The Doctor. How's K9?"

Luke's eyes went from the Doctor to her, eying her with uncertainty.

"He really does have a knack for awful introductions, believe me. Amelia Pond." She thrust her hand forward as Luke shook it before recoiling to pull a stray piece of hair out of her mouth. "Most people just call me Amy, well, he does, at any rate."

"It's nice to meet you. Doctor, pardon me for saying so, but you certainly don't look the same."

"Hasn't your mum explained that to you? Right, okay, the last time we met, Luke Smith, I pushed you out the way of an oncoming car. You really should look both ways on that mobile of yours." The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets, teetering back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Believe me now or shall I continue?"

"Mum's been worried, we both have." Luke swallowed the lump in his throat. "She thought the last time was, well, the last time. Been quite upset about it."

"It's over." The Doctor's eyes looked away to the ground as he remembered the painful process of regeneration that he was just now recovering from. "Because I'm here now, and I want your mum to meet Amy. Where is Sarah anyway? It's not like her to not greet me herself. She usually can detect the TARDIS at five clicks."

Luke opened the door farther, turning as the Doctor and Amy exchanged glances. Amy stepped in first, and the Doctor hesitated before following. The sound of voices grew louder as Luke closed the door behind them.

"She's been expecting you," he said, motioning to the open door of the living room. The Doctor smirked to himself. He may have left Amy for fourteen years on complete and total accident, but the TARDIS had indeed learned a few lessons. "She'll be happy you've finally arrived. They all will."

The Doctor turned to enter and paused at Luke's choice of words as Amy rolled her eyes.

"You brought me here for a reason and all you're going to do is stand there, rooted to the floor like some shrub? Go on!" She pushed him, trying to get him to move which he conceded to. "We're right behind, aren't we, Luke?"

Luke nodded, and the Doctor took tentative steps towards the room, recognizing the voices the closer he came to the doorway. He heard the Brigadier's familiar voice, warm and strong as he told a story in which Liz Shaw interrupted with details of her own.

Mickey and Martha's laughter was broken by Jack's sarcasm, and the Doctor's smile widened. Just how many of them were in there?

"Doctor." Amy's voice was firmer as she raised an eyebrow. He took a deeper breath before coming around the doorway, and it was Jack who spotted him first out of the corner of his eye. He was standing in front of someone who the Doctor didn't see yet as he turned. The others noticed Jack and silenced as Jack moved towards him.

He grinned, looking at the Doctor from head to toe.

"Bowties…Different but nice. Definitely not ginger."

The Doctor grinned back.

"Better luck next time."

Jack hugged him then, and the Doctor felt the exerted pressure of Jack's tight hug.

"Jack, even in my last incarnation, we didn't do this. I think it's best if we don't start now." The Doctor pulled back, hitting his shoulder with a smile as Jack's eyes went to Amy, who was hanging back with Luke and surveying the situation. "It is good to see you."

"Who's the girl?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? Except that you're not going to. Amy, stay away from this man. He's positively the most dangerous man you'll ever meet. We won't ask how many sexually transmitted diseases the world has thanks to him."

"I would say nearly all of them." The woman that had been standing behind Jack put down the glass of water in her hands before coming forward. She studied him for a moment, tilting her head as the Doctor's memories flashed before him. "Oh, this is truly rich, Doctor. Here we all are, and you're looking as young as ever. You should share your secrets."

The Doctor smiled as Jack stepped to the side and she reached to hug him.

"Oh, Jo. Wouldn't do you any good if I tried, I'm afraid. Although, I'm sure you can ask the good captain about the curse of a fountain of youth, isn't that right, Jack?"

Jack opened his mouth to say something, and then stopped, causing the room of people to laugh.

"You're one to talk. Jo's right. I mean, just look at you. Gone from forty to nothing in two-point-five seconds," Mickey said, sitting on the edge of the chair that Martha was actually sitting in. He had his arm around her, and she looked up at him. "What'dya think, Martha? Does he pass muster?"

"Hmph, this is nothing. You should have seen him before," the Brigadier said to Mickey from his spot on the sofa, his arm around Liz as the Doctor walked past Jo to stand closer to them. "I do say, Doctor. You do have a fondness for the rather absurd-looking."

"Alistair," she said, hitting his chest in jest.

"I'm only kidding, Lizzie. Welcome back, Doctor." He shot off a short casual salute, which the Doctor returned. "Despite the face, some things never change. Still a bit sloppy."

"Completely one-hundred percent perfect then? Hello, Doctor," Liz said, and the Doctor smirked.

"Hello. I'll work on it for next time, for sure. Mickey, Martha, how do I look really?" He spun around on his heels. "I know, tweed, a bowtie, I'm shorter, brown weird just meh hair, not what you were expecting. Still working on these teeth. God, they're strange this go around."

Martha stood up and came to stand in front of him, taking him by both arms.

"I think I shall speak for everyone when I say that we all love you, regardless of what you look like," she said, leaning forward to hug him. She held on a moment longer than necessary as she whispered. "Thank you."

"For what, Martha Jones?" He pulled back to look down at her, his eyes darting back and forth. "This face is barely out of diapers. What could I have possibly done?"

"For saving us." Martha motioned to Mickey, who smiled.

"Never travel without a hammer." He tapped her on the nose with his right pointer finger. "Good advice for all of you. Never know when you might need it, and you're welcome."

"I knew it! I know those engines anywhere! Where is he?" The Doctor heard a sudden shouting as someone came through Amy and Luke and it only took him a second to realize that Wilfred Mott was coming at him. "Oh my God, you've gone and done it, haven't you? That thing, that thing you talked about. Reginger-"

"Regeneration, yes." The Doctor corrected him as the elder man approached. "Wilfred Mott. The last man I expected to see today, but none the less, the powers of the universe have prevailed again in my favour. It is good to see you."

He hugged him, feeling the overwhelming power of emotions tugging at both of his hearts as Martha took a step back and Mickey put his arms across her shoulders, leaning forward. Amy noticed the Doctor's face bow down into Wilf's shoulder, and she looked at Luke.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Wilf said, stepping back and touching each side of his face as the tears in his eyes held. "You saved my life."

"No, Wilf, you saved mine, and that's all that matters." The Doctor's voice lowered, and from across the room, Amy noticed the shift in his expression. The intensity certainly startled her as he moved to the woman standing behind Wilf. "Hello, Tegan."

Tegan smiled.

"Doctor. My, pushing the envelope a bit, are we?"

She tilted her head sideways as he smiled back. There would be more time for one-on-one conversation later.

"Never one to let me down gently, Tegan. An admirable quality."

"Excuse me, Doctor, but I'll assume the lovely young girl in the corner belongs with you. Poor thing looks like a deer caught in headlights. You could do the polite thing and introduce us." The Brigadier spoke from his spot on the sofa, pointing to Amy. She looked at Luke, who touched her arm and gave a gentle squeeze.

"They won't bite," Luke said. "Promise."

"Right, yes, I really am a bit horrible about introductions, aren't I? Duly noted." The Doctor scratched his head again, and Amy swallowed the lump in her throat. "Amy, these are my friends. We have Jack, Jo, the Brigadier and his lovely wife Liz on the sofa, Mickey, Martha, well, over there, Wilf, who's a long story entirely and you just heard me call her Tegan. Any questions?"

Amy took a step forward, darting around the room to look at the various people that were looking at her.

"Doctor, you've probably scared her half to death with the likes of us," Tegan said. "He's really quite a prat. Don't let him get by with that sort of nonsense."

"I try not to, thanks," Amy said.

"Where's Sarah?" The Doctor whirled around, looking for the one person he had obviously brought Amy to meet. "Lukey-boy, we're still missing your mother. First, she doesn't greet me, and now she's not here. You did say she would be happy to see me."

"She was right behind me, wasn't she?" Tegan turned to Wilf.

"I don't know. Wasn't paying that close attention," Wilf said. The Doctor immediately walked past the group near the door, and then turned towards the kitchen. He heard the sounds of running water as he approached. Sarah's back was to him, and the water shut off not a second later.

She heard him clear his throat, her back straightening. The tears in her eyes held as she willed herself to turn around and face him. Her hands gripped the edge of the counter, as she looked him over from head to toe. He inhaled before moving forward.

He was shorter, she surmised. A couple of inches closer to her anyway. She caught a breath as he stepped even closer. No matter what he looked like, she knew his eyes and that look anywhere.

When he stopped moving to look at her, he was barely inches away from her, and she found herself looking up at him, squaring her jaw. It would not do to cry.

She found herself whispering at him, breaking the unusual silence.

"So not fair." She resisted the urge to trace his face with her fingers as he reached up and put his thumb in the middle of her chin.

The Doctor smirked.

"What good is fair? I much prefer the disadvantage." His thumb left her chin as his fingers ghosted across her cheek. There was a slight pause as she resisted leaning into his hand and kept her focus on his eyes.

"Is that what you're telling others now?" His hand fell back at his side.

"Sometimes," he said, smiling. "Other times, I don't need to because I find myself with the strangest sorts who are willing to hear nothing at all. Especially pesky journalists."

Sarah smiled.

"Alright."

"You haven't told me what you think." He tilted his head at her, and Sarah smirked. "Or even given me a hug. Are we past hugs?"

"No." Sarah shook her head, opening her arms as he wrapped himself around her. "We are most definitely never past a good hug, Doctor."

Sarah's head fit snugly under his chin as his lips brushed the top of her head with a comforting smile. He felt her arms run lightly up and down his back, almost to check and make sure that he was real and was there.

Leave it to Sarah Jane to truly make him feel wanted despite the surprise of seeing some of his other favourite people, he thought, releasing the breath he had been holding. Sarah felt his grip tighten before he stepped back.

"Right, so come on, out with it. I can take it, whatever you think." He dropped his arms to his sides as hers came up to rest against his chest. "It's important."

He felt his tension ease at her touch, his hands coming up to her elbows. "I once wore a vegetable on a regular basis. I'm sure anything after that seems fairly ordinary."

Sarah smirked.

"Absolutely."

"Absolutely, yes, though not exactly answering my questions. How very Sarah Jane."

"I'm not the one who regenerated."

"Well, I'm not the one who didn't come out to meet me. I should take offense. My best friend. Not even willing to answer her own doorbell."

"There's so many people in my house, I didn't think you'd miss me."

"About that-"

"It was time." She patted his chest with her right hand. "We all needed to see you."

"You know you're always my Sarah Jane, no matter what I look like?"

"Mhm hmm." Sarah nodded her head.

"In all the time I've known you, you've never been this quiet. Talk to me."

"Nothing to say, really." Sarah focused on his chest. "How you managed to break away from that lot is nothing short of a miracle."

"While I am happy to see them, they're not the ones I came to see." He tried to catch her gaze, and found that he couldn't. What had changed since he had been gone? Surely, it hadn't been that long.

She tried to smile, but found herself failing. "Blimey, have I missed the boat? This face may be the one in a line of many, but I know you and I know when something's wrong. Universal constant and all. So, tell me."

"You're here." She exhaled a rather large breath, finally catching his gaze.

"Yes, we've established that. I'm here, wanting you to meet someone because you're important and you're holding up progress by telling me things I all ready know."

"You saved Luke."

"Yes, yes, I did." Her eyes fell again, and he felt his impatience growing.

"You said goodbye."

"Yes."

"I thought-"

"I know what you thought." He cut her off. "But obviously I came back. I always come back, Sarah."

"To what end?" That's when the tears fell, and without thinking he reached up to wipe them away with his thumbs, not pulling back.

"To the end, to all ends."

"Are you going to continue to turn up at random intervals to visit some crazy old lady who can't even get out of bed on her own?"

"Is that what you're really on about? Listen, I'll tell you a secret." He leaned towards her ear, his voice lowering. "You're always going to be able to get out of bed on your own. Trust me."

"Please, don't-"

"Fine, I'll just pop back to the beginning of us. Not really sure how well I'll receive me with me, but you know, always up for a challenge. Good ol white curls. Can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him that he's not to let you out of his sight, ever. I will then go to the other curly one and check up. Will that be suffice to make you happy?"

"This isn't a game. My life isn't a game for you to just put down when you're bored and then pick back up when you want to have fun. You can't say things like that; you can't do things like that. You can't make promises you can't keep and you most certainly cannot change time."

"I'm a Time Lord. It's kind of in the job description." He paused, waiting for her to make her next move. "So tell me what do, Sarah Jane. Stay? Go? Travel back to 1973 and convince a younger me that all I need is a feisty journalist in my TARDIS for a lifetime of saving the universe? I'm running out of options here."

"No." She shook her head.

"No?"

"Every action has a equal and direct consequence in the Universe. I tried to save my parents and the present day Earth was ruined."

"But that's taking you out of the equation. You'd still be you if you stayed with me. Probably protect me from doing something stupid on more than one occasion. Like falling from that tower, among other things. The Doctor and Sarah Jane, saving the world just like we used to."

"I'd never forgive you."

The Doctor smiled, wiping a second set of her tears away.

"Then the game's fair. Because you wouldn't know not to forgive me, my Sarah Jane."

"Thought you didn't do fair."

"I've told you, I much prefer the disadvantage, yes. But not when it comes to you, never when it comes to you."

"You'd really change everything you've seen? Everyone you've ever met in your lifetime, all the wonderful things you've done? Take a look at the people around you."

"Everything has its time, right…" He broke off sighing, and Sarah nodded as his head bowed. "I really hate that rule."

"It is what it is," Sarah said, sighing next. "So, what did the others think, hmm? Of this new you?"

"Does it matter? You won't even tell me what you think. I'm still offended."

"Come now, Doctor." Sarah smiled now. "I'm sure you're much less offended at not knowing what I think."

"You're still my Sarah Jane," he said. "I want to know what you think."

"Your eyes, they never change." She allowed herself one touch to each side of his face, feeling the smooth curve of his cheek. "No matter what you look like, I can see the man you used to be."

"And that's good?" He rubbed up and down her arms, a smile ghosting on his lips.

"It's like coming home." Sarah smiled. She had seen someone standing in the doorway, and was sure from the look on the young woman's face that she didn't know what to make of the interaction. Only time would tell how much she had seen. "Now, are you going to introduce me to the lovely young woman standing in the doorway or should I take a guess?"

"Oh, right." He turned, keeping one hand on her as he extended the other one towards Amy. Amy pushed her hair back behind her ear and took a step forward. "Sarah Jane, this is Amy Pond."

"I can see that." Sarah eyed him before taking a step forward and offering her hand out. "My apologies. He barely told me of your arrival."

"Yeah, he does that." Amy eyed the Doctor herself as she shook Sarah's hand. She then looked at the Doctor as she recrossed her arms. "So, first you take me to meet the wife, and now I'm meeting the ex?"

"Why does everyone say that?" The Doctor shook his head. "Sarah's not-"

"I'm not-"

"Oh, I'll be the judge of that. Got two eyes and can add quite nicely." Amy insisted.

"Wait, wife? What wife?" Sarah raised an eyebrow. "What is she talking about?"

"Ah yes, that-." He scratched the back of his head. "Hard to say. I haven't really met her yet but she's shown up a couple of times out of order. You know me, never one to do things the right way around. And for the record, she's not my wife."

"Not yet, anyway," Amy said. "Do you know she knows how to pilot the TARDIS? Without leaving the parking break on. Makes him look like an amateur. As if the Doctor could look amateur about anything, especially the TARDIS."

"Amy-"

"Right. We're with the ex. Sorry, my bad. So, Sarah Jane, what can you tell me about this big lug that I don't all ready know?" Amy grinned, and the Doctor and Sarah just exchanged glances.


End file.
